The Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the California Digital Library (CDL), the Association of American Universities (AAU), and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) will jointly convene an invited group of experts and stakeholders in December to design implementation strategies addressing new recommendations for the effective management of research data. This conference is made possible by generous support from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant no. 1945938.
The conference draws inspiration from a growing number of funder requirements and recommendations, including NSF’s May 2019 “Dear Colleague” letter, which asks grantees to assign “persistent identifiers” for data sets and to make their data management plans (DMPs) machine readable. This kind of guidance is issued as part of a global movement to make science more open and interoperable. The guidance is reflected in a series of recommendations by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in its 2018 report Open Science by Design: Realizing a Vision for 21st Century Research.
The conference will identify and determine the following:
- What barriers exist to implementing persistent identifiers and machine-readable data management plans
- What kinds of model workflows might address those barriers, while minimizing faculty burden
- What implementation means for institutional data governance (for example, sharing DMPs across campus units, between institutions, and publicly)
- Findings to bring back to policy makers, funding agencies, and institutions so they can engage in a discussion about next steps
- Recommendations of effective practices for grants offices, including guidance to their researchers
Conference organizers will publish a report in early 2020. This conference will also inform a series of events hosted by AAU and APLU next year “to broaden and deepen awareness and understanding of public access issues across the academic research community.”
About the Association of Research Libraries
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 124 research libraries in Canada and the US whose mission is to advance research, learning, and scholarly communication. The Association fosters the open exchange of ideas and expertise, promotes equity and diversity, and pursues advocacy and public policy efforts that reflect the values of the library, scholarly, and higher education communities. ARL forges partnerships and catalyzes the collective efforts of research libraries to enable knowledge creation and to achieve enduring and barrier-free access to information. ARL is on the web at ARL.org.
About the California Digital Library
California Digital Library (cdlib.org) provides transformative digital library services, grounded in campus partnerships and extended through external collaborations, that amplify the impact of the libraries, scholarship, and resources of the University of California. Twitter: @CalDigLib
About the Association of American Universities
Founded in 1900, the Association of American Universities is composed of America’s leading research universities. AAU’s 62 research universities transform lives through education, research, and innovation. Our member universities earn the majority of competitively awarded federal funding for research that improves public health, seeks to address national challenges, and contributes significantly to our economic strength, while educating and training tomorrow’s visionary leaders and innovators. AAU member universities collectively help shape policy for higher education, science, and innovation; promote best practices in undergraduate and graduate education; and strengthen the contributions of leading research universities to American society. Follow AAU on Twitter, on Facebook, and on LinkedIn.
About the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
APLU is a research, policy, and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening and advancing the work of public universities in the US, Canada, and Mexico. With a membership of 239 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and affiliated organizations, APLU’s agenda is built on the three pillars of increasing degree completion and academic success, advancing scientific research, and expanding engagement. Annually, member campuses enroll 4.9 million undergraduates and 1.3 million graduate students, award 1.3 million degrees, employ 1.3 million faculty and staff, and conduct $44.9 billion in university-based research.
